There are many setting items that should be set before use in wireless communication typified by wireless local area network (LAN) conforming to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series standard. For example, the setting items include communication parameters, such a Service Set Identifier (SSID) used as a network identifier, an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key, which are necessary for the wireless communication. It is very complicated for a user to manually set the setting items.
In such a situation, various manufacturers have proposed automatic setting methods for easily setting the communication parameters in wireless devices. In the automatic setting methods, the communication parameters are provided from one device to the other device with procedures that are set in advance between the devices and messages to automatically set the communication parameters. Non Patent Literature 1 discloses an example of automatic setting of communication parameters in communication in a wireless LAN infrastructure mode (infrastructure communication). Patent Literatures 1 to 3 disclose examples of automatic setting of communication parameters in communication in a wireless LAN ad hoc mode (ad hoc communication). Technologies to select a device (providing apparatus) that provides the communication parameters from the devices participating in a network to provide the communication parameters from the providing apparatus to another device (receiving apparatus) are described in Patent Literatures 1 to 3.
The communication parameters may be automatically set in a mode in which a user inputs an authentication code in a device (hereinafter referred to as an authentication code mode) (refer to Non Patent Literature 1). In the authentication code mode, the authentication code is shared between devices to perform an authentication process between the devices and a setting process of the communication parameters is performed between the devices for which the authentication process succeeded. The communication parameters may be automatically set in a mode in which the setting process is started in response to pressing of a setting start button provided in a device and the automatic setting of the communication parameters is performed with another device in which the setting process is similarly started (hereinafter referred to as a button pressing mode) (refer to Non Patent Literature 1). In the button pressing mode, the setting process of the communication parameters is performed between the devices without the authentication code that is input by the user.